I was having a hard time figuring out what subject line to use, but I guess that's as good as any. This isn't news (it happened a few years ago), but even though the Sea Spray has had relatively little coverage here it's a story worth recording.
Glenmore Sailboats was established in Calgary in the late 60s by Fred and Audrey van Zuiden, and they operated it in a couple of locations downtown until 2001, when they retired and sold the shop (it still operates today). In the 70s and 80s they also had a manufacturing plant where they turned out Sea Sprays and a couple of monohulls, making the Sea Sprays the dominant cat around here for many years. I became a customer in the mid-70s (their original location was across the street from a warehouse where I worked for a couple of summers when I was in high school), bought my first cat (the Mystere 17) from them in 1981 and have remained a customer ever since. In retirement Fred turned to writing (and self-publishing) two memoirs, one of his time in the sailing business, the other of his childhood in Holland under the Nazis. So the last few times I saw them were at the little release parties for the books that they held at their old store. I think Fred tended to come across as a little bit haughty, but underneath it he was a very nice guy, Audrey was sweet, and things seemed to balance out well between us though they found me somewhat strange.
Over the years I heard the odd report about how Fred was going downhill with Alzheimer's, but not how bad it eventually became. Despite it, Audrey was a trooper and cared for him rather than packing him off to a home. One can reflect on whether it was the right choice, but it didn't end well.
https://globalnews.ca/new…-accused-in-wifes-death/
Edited by jonathan162 on Jul 31, 2021 - 04:43 PM.
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Southern Alberta and all over the damn place.
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1981 SuperCat 20 "Roberts' Rockets"
1983 SuperCat 19
TriFoiler #23 "Unfair Advantage"
Mystere 17
Unicorn A-Class (probably made by Trowbridge) that I couldn't resist rescuing at auction.
H18 & Zygal (classic) Tornado - stolen and destroyed - very unpleasant story.
Invitation and Mistral and Sunflower and windsurfers w/ Harken hydrofoils and god knows what else...
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Tragic end to Sea Spray makers.
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Posted: Jul 31, 2021 - 04:14 PM
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Posted: Jul 31, 2021 - 07:00 PM
never heard of this cat
thank you for the writeup
RIP
Interesting boat
mid boom sheeting
rope travler with blocks at the transom
center tramp beam
jib cleats in the middle of the tramp beam (looks like it could be very painful in a stuff if you hit any of that)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLawW12zlmI
Question about your Mystere 17
Is this the same as the Mystere S ?
What year did you purchase it?
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Posted: Jul 31, 2021 - 08:04 PM
Is that one of my scans? I know I put some stuff up here on this boat some years back. I'd have to check, but I think the S was a slightly later version with slightly more sail (mine has 200ft^2, iIrc), otherwise it's the same. Often mistaken at a distance for a Tornado, as the designer's intent was as a Tornado trainer. As indicated above, I got it in '81.
That Sea Spray video was shot at Lake Newell, a big irrigation reservoir a couple of hours east of here. I've been out there on the SC19 a couple of times this year - there's a big provincial campground that compensates for the drive; the downside is that when the wind is blowing in the wrong direction you get a stern lesson in what they fertilize the surrounding fields with. They still have quite an active fleet. Though I thought the Sea Spray looked pretty damn exciting when I was a completely incompetent 12-year-old dinghy sailor, it was demo'ing an H18 out on Skaha Lake in BC that threw the switch for me - we got our asses kicked and I immediately understood that this is what I was going to be doing from then on, and that it was going to involve trapeze. Since the Sea Spray doesn't have one (and the rig really is too light for it), I never considered it. I've sailed them over the years, though, and that stupid driveshaft hump makes it unpleasant - there's not a lot of room between it and the boom.
Edited by jonathan162 on Jul 31, 2021 - 08:43 PM.
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Southern Alberta and all over the damn place.
*
1981 SuperCat 20 "Roberts' Rockets"
1983 SuperCat 19
TriFoiler #23 "Unfair Advantage"
Mystere 17
Unicorn A-Class (probably made by Trowbridge) that I couldn't resist rescuing at auction.
H18 & Zygal (classic) Tornado - stolen and destroyed - very unpleasant story.
Invitation and Mistral and Sunflower and windsurfers w/ Harken hydrofoils and god knows what else...
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Posted: Aug 01, 2021 - 07:18 AM
They were mostly a Western Cat. Designed & first built by a West Coast, (USA), aerospace engineer, the rights, & molds were later sold several times.
There are still active fleets in Alberta, B.C, & Oregon, they hold North American championships.
Over the years a bunch have migrated around the Continent, it is not unusual to see one for sale out in Ontario.
Jib cleating on the Center beam is a modification, originally they were at the ends of the front beam.
They are reasonably fast, for a 15’ cat, (better than a Wave), & favour lighter crews.
Most are plywood built.
https://canadianseaspray.com/
Edited by Edchris177 on Aug 01, 2021 - 08:00 AM.
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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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Posted: Aug 01, 2021 - 09:18 AM
Nice write up here on the history of Mystere
https://voilesansoucy.com/en/about-us/
there are a LOT of them here in the tampa area (I own 2).
apparently Yves used to bring them down here in the winter for testing new features and sold many here -
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Posted: Aug 01, 2021 - 09:19 AM
Good info -
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Posted: Aug 01, 2021 - 12:34 PM
Ah, that's interesting. I had no idea they'd made their way down there in numbers. It's strange how some boats are so popular in some areas but completely unknown in others. The SC/ARC boats are the current example; abundant everywhere east and south of the midwest, but essentially unknown the further west and north you get. In the first couple of years that I had the Mystere, I hauled it down to SoCal (behind my '64 Rambler Classic!) - my cousin lived in/around Santa Ana, Newport Beach, etc., and I'd go down and stay for weeks, hang with him and his friends, buy a lot of records, and sail off of Long Beach. One year I'd been bashing around out there for a couple of hours and came in to shore for a break, to fiddle with something, whatever. A few minutes later this guy comes loping down the beach with his hand out, saying "Hey! I'm Geoff Prindle! Never seen one of these boats - what is it? Mind if I have a look around?" He took off his shades, popped one of the hatches, and used them as an inspection mirror to have a peek inside. Hung out and chatted with him for about half an hour, then got back out. But tons in FL. Weird.
Edited by jonathan162 on Aug 01, 2021 - 12:36 PM.
--
Southern Alberta and all over the damn place.
*
1981 SuperCat 20 "Roberts' Rockets"
1983 SuperCat 19
TriFoiler #23 "Unfair Advantage"
Mystere 17
Unicorn A-Class (probably made by Trowbridge) that I couldn't resist rescuing at auction.
H18 & Zygal (classic) Tornado - stolen and destroyed - very unpleasant story.
Invitation and Mistral and Sunflower and windsurfers w/ Harken hydrofoils and god knows what else...
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- Registered: Jun 20, 2006
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Posted: Aug 01, 2021 - 01:13 PM
HA! funny
